The musical performance tradition of the Christian Church has grown out of the liturgical tradition of Judaism.

The melodic formulas for the singing of psalms and the sung recitation of other scriptural passages are clearly based on Hebraic models.

Music in the Roman Catholic liturgy is performed mainly for the mass.

Originally, the music had been performed by the priest and the congregation, until, in time, there emerged from the congregation a special group of singers, called the choir, who assumed the musical role of answering and contrasting the solo singing of the priest.

Women have participated actively in musical performances in the ancient Christian Church until 578, when older Hebraic practices excluding them are restored.

From this time until the twentieth century, Roman Catholic Church choirs will be composed solely of men and boys.